The company said net profit fell to $166 million, or $4.28 per share, from a profit of $175 million, or $4.25 per share a year ago. But analysts’ on average were looking for earnings of $3.83 per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Intuitive earlier this month at an investor conference pre-announced its sales results for the quarter. Da Vinci sales fell 23 percent to $205 million as the company sold 138 systems compared with 175 a year ago. It was an improvement over the third quarter, however, when 101 of the $1.5 million da Vinci systems were sold.